Projecting 53-man rosters in the NFL can be a frugal practice, as teams constantly make tweaks and changes to personnel from the beginning of the offseason in January all the way through training camp.
With the Seattle Seahawks starting camp on July 25, however, there’s a good chance most of the players currently on the roster will still be with the team when practices begin later this month.
As camp rapidly approaches, the Seahawks Wire staff will be taking a stab at which players will make Seattle’s final roster on a position-by-position basis.
After taking an extended look at Seattle’s backup quarterback race, it’s time to shift attention to the backfield. The Seahawks have struggled to run the football effectively in recent seasons and finished with the No. 23 ranked rushing unit in 2017.
As a result, Seattle re-shuffled the deck a bit in the backfield. Thomas Rawls and Eddie Lacy weren’t re-signed, while the team invested a first-round draft pick in dynamic runner Rashaad Penny. Along with adding Penny to the fold, the Seahawks retained Chris Carson, Mike Davis, J.D. McKissic, and C.J. Prosise to create a well-rounded, talented stable of ball carriers ready to compete for snaps.
Which running backs will survive roster cuts at one of the Seahawks’ deepest positions heading into 2018?
Locks
Rashaad Penny
The Seahawks shocked many draft pundits when they tabbed Penny as their first-round draft choice in April. Based on his college production, size, and versatility, however, his selection shouldn’t have surprised anyone.
Penny led all of Division I in rushing yards during his senior season and scored a combined 28 touchdowns as a runner, receiver, and return specialist for San Diego State. At 230 pounds, he has the frame to withstand a heavy workload out of the backfield while still possessing the ability to make defenders miss in space, including after the catch and in the return game.
Seattle will give Penny a shot at winning the starting running back job right away and he will also compete against Tyler Lockett as a kick and punt returner. Though he may not be Seattle’s “bell cow” back just yet, as a first-round pick who can affect games in a magnitude of ways, there’s no way he’s getting cut.
Chris Carson
Deemed by coach Pete Carroll as the most impressive player this offseason, Carson will be looking to build off a strong start to his NFL career that came to an end after only four games.
Entering the league as a seventh-round pick out of Oklahoma State, Carson used hard-nosed, physical running to shoot up the depth chart in training camp and win a roster spot. Following a brilliant 93-yard performance against the 49ers in Week 2, he became Seattle’s starter briefly before suffering a season-ending ankle injury two weeks later.
Now fully recovered, Carson has a great opportunity to recapture the starting running back job. A bulldozer between the tackles who looks like he was carved out of stone by the Greek gods, his running style fits new offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer’s offense to perfection and at worst, he should see extended carries as a compliment to Penny in the backfield.
Should Be In
J.D. McKissic
Viewed as a fringe candidate to make Seattle’s roster a year ago, McKissic shined during training camp and the preseason as a dual-threat weapon and snagged a roster spot.
Thanks to injuries to Rawls, Carson, and Prosise, McKissic earned an expanded role on Seattle’s offense as the season progressed, finishing the year with 187 rushing yards, 266 receiving yards, and three total touchdowns. Capable of toting the rock out the backfield as well as lining up wide as a receiver, he’s a versatile skill player who creates added flexibility offensively.
Penny’s arrival could cut down on opportunities for McKissic to see the field in 2018 and his slight build limits his upside as a runner. Still, he was arguably Seattle’s most consistent back last year and his ability to play multiple positions and special teams give him a slight edge battling for a third-down role.
Mike Davis
Unlike McKissic, the stocky, 217-pound Davis didn’t survive roster cuts despite a strong preseason and spent the first half of the season on Seattle’s practice squad.
Once injuries and poor performance forced Seattle to promote him to the active roster in November, Davis ran well after being thrown into an adverse situation behind a struggling offensive line. In six games, he rushed for 240 yards and a pedestrian 3.5 yards per carry, but he provided much-needed energy to Seattle’s offense while also producing 15 receptions for 131 yards as a receiver.
The former 49ers fourth-round pick won’t be a starter next season barring injuries, but his no-nonsense running style and receiving ability make Davis the ideal insurance option behind Penny and Carson.
Outside Looking In
C.J. Prosise
There’s a chance Seattle could choose to keep all five running backs, especially with Prosise and McKissic being capable receivers. But with Carroll hoping to bring back the fullback this year, it seems unlikely, leaving the talented but fragile Prosise as the odd man out.
In terms of overall talent, Prosise offers superior playmaking ability to Davis and McKissic when healthy. The former third-round pick has been a game changer when he can avoid the training room, as exhibited by his impactful 153-yard performance against the Patriots in 2016. But after missing 21 out of 32 regular season games due to injury the past two years, he hasn’t proven to be durable enough for the Seahawks to count on.
With McKissic providing a reliable third-down alternative and Davis offering more upside as a between-the-tackles runner, Seattle won’t be nearly as patient with Prosise and the injury-prone back will enter camp on thin ice. To stay on the right side of the bubble, he will need to stay healthy and dominate in camp to remain on the roster for a third season.
